The field of the present invention is aerodynamic systems for the undercarriage of vehicles.
For some time, aerodynamic devices have been applied to vehicles as a means to reduce drag and enhance overall vehicle efficiency. Automobiles and motorcycles have used such devices added to or incorporated into the body of the vehicle for a great many years. In the last few decades, such devices have been incorporated into larger vehicles such as trucks. Fairings and air dams have been frequently used to streamline flow about the front of such vehicles. It has also been well known that skirts extending longitudinally along the sides of larger vehicles also reduce drag.
Although fairings have been widely accepted, skirts and other elements depending from the body of the vehicle are more problematic. Such devices can interfere with accumulated snow and ice on the roadway even with appropriate driving maneuvers. Other obstacles and objects can be accidentally or mistakenly contacted by such skirts as well. Such incidences can result in injury to the aerodynamic devices and/or to the elements encountered. Further, these difficulties can occur as the vehicle is being maneuvered with the impact on the skirts being either from inboard or outboard.